{"title":"Airbus Defence & Space vs Astranis: Platforms compared","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/compare/airbus-defence-space-vs-astranis","comparison":"Airbus Defence & Space ranks 8 on the Space 100 with a score of 85; Astranis ranks 61 with 71. Airbus Defence & Space is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, positioning, firepower and leverage. Astranis is ahead on progress. Level on technology. Airbus Defence & Space is based in Taufkirchen, Germany, Astranis in San Francisco, United States. Airbus Defence & Space: Subsidiary. Astranis: Growth. Airbus Defence & Space is named in 50 signals and Astranis in 26.","companies":[{"name":"Airbus Defence & Space","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/airbus-defence-space","city":"Taufkirchen","country":"Germany","stage":"Subsidiary","founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Airbus Defence & Space is the space division of Airbus SE, a full-line prime with the OneSat software-defined GEO line, EO systems, and a launch stake via ArianeGroup, and winner of Eutelsat OneWeb's 440-satellite next-generation constellation order. It is party to the Airbus/Leonardo/Thales space-merger MoU (late 2025, Project Bromo class), whose fate is the biggest single variable in European space industrial structure. Figures are group- or division-scoped (a dedicated filings pass owed).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":8,"score":85,"tier":"member","scores":{"gate_ne":["firepower"],"leverage":8,"position":8,"progress":9,"firepower":10,"commercial":10,"deployment":8,"production":8,"technology":8},"why":"Airbus Defence & Space builds and integrates satellite platforms, including the SpainSat NG 2 platform and 66 platforms for the IRIS² constellation.","segment":"Platforms","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":50,"facts_total":11},{"name":"Astranis","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/astranis","city":"San Francisco","country":"United States","stage":"Growth","founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Astranis is a US satellite maker whose MicroGEO small dedicated GEO satellites (multiple on orbit since 2023, with the next-gen Omega program) offer niche-GEO-as-a-service, the counter-thesis to LEO constellations, serving nations and telcos without $300M satellite budgets. It raised a Series E in May 2026 (a16z participating) on top of ~$750M in prior rounds. The Series E amount was not disclosed in this pass's sources (a gap).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":61,"score":71,"tier":"member","scores":{"leverage":6,"position":6,"progress":10,"firepower":8,"commercial":6,"deployment":6,"production":6,"technology":8},"why":"Astranis designs and manufactures small geostationary broadband satellites, including dedicated satellites for customers such as stc Group and its MicroGEO product line.","segment":"Platforms","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":26,"facts_total":22}],"note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}